We Too are Heroes

The approaching anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center is
on everyone's mind. This anniversary will beg many questions. Some we
will answer. Some we will not.

One type of question many are asking is
how well have we recovered, or what can we do to continue to move New
York forward. Most mental health professionals hold the belief that
nearly everyone can and should benefit from a deep and prolonged
exploration of their personal reactions to September 11th, preferably
in psychotherapy. This is misguided. Most people who are exposed to a
traumatic event report that they cannot make sense of it, even years
after it has passed. In essence, this very characteristic is what makes
it traumatic. We visit ground zero over and over again because we
cannot even grasp its magnitude let alone make sense of it. It cannot
be denied that the 9/11 attack left deep psychological wounds on many
people. But most of us are okay.

Research data show, in fact, that most
people are usually quite resilient in the face of adversity. Trauma
symptoms following an extremely difficult event are common and natural.
We might even say normal. And initial trauma symptoms are not good
predictors of later trauma; as relatively few people with symptoms go
on to develop full-blown post-traumatic disorders.

Because the mental
health profession has focused its attention so completely on trauma, we
have tended to pay little attention to the factors that promote
resilience. One of the few things we have learned, however, is that
people who cope effectively with stressful events don't dwell on the
painful memories of those events. Rather, they are positive and
optimistic. They attend to other aspects of their lives. They can
laugh. And they actively and concretely plan for the future. I'd say
New Yorkers are doing okay on that score.

But there is another piece to
consider. Research has also shown that people who recover most quickly
seem to find some sort of benefit in having endured a stressful
experience. They find a silver lining, a new understanding of
themselves, and a new perspective on other people or life itself.

Herein lies the challenge. The September 11th attack showed us just how
ugly the world can be and how much we can be hurt. Can we find benefit
in something so hellish?

The answer is we already have. We saw heroes
on that day and on the difficult days that followed. There were the
selfless firefighters, police officers, and EMTs. There were the
anonymous passengers of United Airlines, Flight 93. Even as the attack
was still unfolding they simply and purposefully gave their own lives
to bring the plane down so that hate could not achieve further
victories.

We, too, were heroes. We handed out sandwiches, removed
beams, hauled, cheered, and directed traffic. We donated time,
clothing, and blood, filled out forms, made telephone calls, packed,
unpacked, and delivered supplies, raised money, lined up and waited
around just in case we were needed and then came back the next day to
wait again. We organized, made posters, sent letters and messages of
support.

Heroes not withstanding, the attack on the World Trade Center
also generated a less enlightened consequence; it deepened our
seemingly bottomless national struggle with race. For many people, the
shock of an attack on American soil ballooned into a palpable desire to
extract revenge from a salient, ethnic enemy. Fortunately, eventually
most of us came to realize that the distinction was not as clear as we
might have thought, that anyone can hate and anyone, regardless of race
or religion, can also decide not to hate. We have an opportunity to
remind ourselves now that the heroes of September 11th came in every
color and every creed, from every borough in New York, from all over
the country, and from other countries.

We must remember too that on
September 11th and on the days that followed we were united, however
briefly, by the vision of a world where those in need are helped by
those who are able, and with no questions asked. This vision faded
all-too-quickly. We knew it would. It always does. But we can remember
it and honor it and try to do better. What a leap forward that would
be!

George A. Bonanno is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Education at
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